The Indiana Supreme Court is hosting a swearing in ceremony for 18 certified court interpreters who have successfully completed all five phases of the certification process in the last two years.  The Spanish interpreters will be sworn in by Indiana Supreme Court Justice Robert D. Rucker at a ceremony that is open to the public.

Friday, September 25th
10:30 a.m. EDT
Supreme Court Courtroom, 3rd Floor State House

The Interpreter Certification Program began in 2003 in response to Indiana’s growing non-English speaking population and the need for interpreter services for individuals who do not speak English as their native language.  The Commission on Race and Gender Fairness recommended the Supreme Court establish a certified court interpreter program. The Court authorized the Executive Director of the Division of State Court Administration to join the National Center for State Courts’ Court Consortium for State Court Interpreters. The Division began work to implement an Indiana court interpreter testing system for Spanish.

Since then, the program has been expanded to include a number of languages with a total of 73 interpreters, including those newly sworn-in. With standardized materials from the National Center for State Courts, the Supreme Court has certified interpreters in Arabic and in French, tested in Polish and Russian, and has the capability to test in many other languages.  In 2008, the Supreme Court also awarded nearly $240,000 in grant money to 40 county court systems to encourage trial courts to use certified interpreters.

The 25-member Race and Gender Fairness Commission studies the status of race and gender fairness in Indiana's justice system and investigates ways to improve race and gender fairness in the courts, legal system, and state and local government, as well as among legal service providers and public organizations. The Commission recommends to the Supreme Court the adoption of policies and procedures promoting race and gender fairness.  Division of State Court Administration staff attorney, Camille T. Wiggins explained the importance of the ceremony, “This ceremony caps the determination, hard work and perseverance of these individuals to not only improve their skills and expertise in interpreting, but to join the ranks of other Indiana certified interpreters who endeavor to partner with the Court to make access to justice a reality to someone who stands in need of language assistance.”

The Court Interpreter Advisory Board was also established to help guide the program in 2003.  The program is sustained by the Court’s general budget and the Indiana General Assembly appropriates money for the program.  For more information on the program, visit courts.IN.gov/interpreter.